Hip-pocket lesson: reservists receive LMSR training in 841st loadouts

Translog: Journal of Military Transportation Management, Jan-Feb, 2003 by John Randt

When Operation Desert Storm ended a decade ago, then Staff Sgt. Jay Braegelmann had a unique opportunity.

The Minnesota Army Reservist rode the USS William Callahan, a U.S. Maritime Administration vessel, home as a "Super Cargo." The voyage on the ship took 26 days to sail from Damman, Saudi Arabia, to Tacoma, Wash.

On Oct. 22, now 1st Sgt. Braegelmann, of the 353rd Transportation Co., Buffalo, Minn., saw what a ten years can bring in military transportation transformation.

Braegelmann toured the Military Sealift Command's USNS Bob Hope, one of almost a score of Large, Medium-Speed, Roll-on/Roll-off Ships built for the rapid movement of huge military cargoes.

"This is a massive, moving city," said Braegelmann, staring at some of the ship's 387,000 square feet of stowage. "To see it is a totally different reality."

The Army calls it the "hip-pocket lesson plan." The concept is to have training instantly available any time soldiers are found with time on their work schedule.

"With the frequency of ship movements through here," said Lt. Col. Kent Selby, "We do a lot of this training. The students come from some pretty diverse backgrounds."

Selby compliments Clark Chambers, the battalion's operations chief, who was leading the training at the Charleston Naval Weapons Station.

"He is Large, Medium-Speed, Roll-on/Roll-off Ship training," said Selby.

For many of the Army Reservists, the tour led by Chambers was their first look at one of the vessels.

One Reservist who had seen a Large, Medium-Speed, Roll-on/Roll-off Ship before is 2nd Lt. Kaare Festvog, who finished the basic transportation course at Fort Eustis, Va., a month earlier.

"I heard about the (Bob Hope) ship loading the night of my graduation," said Festvog, who is now employed with a Minneapolis advertising agency. "We saw one during training."

Chambers carried the Reservists to the lower decks of the ship.

"The compartments down here are not full for this load," said Chambers, pointing to the seven-and-a-half-foot overhead. "This is for the smaller cargo, and the fact is, we don't have much in this load. Every load is unique."

Reservists walking the decks included Maj. Julius McLeod. G-4 Transportation, U.S. Army Reserve Command, Fort McPherson, Ga.

"This is excellent," said McLeod. "It tells us what capabilities are available to move Army equipment. This is a good experience. Troops like us often don't get this experience.

"Seeing this," he said, "you can tell how it all fits together."